Jimmy Cricket

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Walkabout with the Lamplighters 150 150 mhamer

Walkabout with the Lamplighters

Jimmy Cricket and the Lamplighters

Jimmy Cricket teamed up with a musician he has known for more than  40 years when he promoted a show in Stockport earlier this year.

The famous entertainer thought a walkabout would be a good way of publicising his forthcoming visit to Stockport’s Plaza Theatre at the end of January.

Jimmy Cricket and the Lamplighters

Armed with his much-loved saxophone, he decided he would join his friends, the busking outfit called the Lamplighters, and walk from the pub called The Swan With Two Necks in central Stockport.

They went along Mersey Square in front of the main entrance to the Merseyway Shopping Centre, and then on to the theatre itself.

The Lamplighters are in fact the Walker brothers – Cyril (on the accordion) and Ivor, commonly known as Mack (on the drum).
Jimmy has known Cyril for a very long time – it was he who helped the Northern Irish comedian to get established on the North of England club circuit when he first set out on the road to showbusiness back in the early 1970s.
At that time Cyril was part of a double act called Clayton and Walker who were already touring around the entertainment venues in the North.
Jimmy said: “The parade through Stockport was a nice bit of fun. It also certainly made an impact, as when I returned to the Plaza I had a very healthy crowd in attendance who all had a great time watching my stand-up show!”
The ‘wellie wonderman’ 150 150 mhamer

The ‘wellie wonderman’

Jimmy Cricket and his family appeared in the Weekend and Titbits magazine in the 1980s

Jimmy Cricket and his family appeared in the Weekend & Titbits magazine in the 1980s

Jimmy Cricket was described as the “Wellie Wonderman” by a magazine during the 1980s.

Jimmy Cricket and his family appeared in the Weekend and Titbits magazine in the 1980s

The entertainer, famous for his wellies which he wears on the wrong feet, and his family were featured  in the issue of Weekend and Titbits on 19 June 1985.

Jimmy was pictured on the front page of the magazine holding a cricket bat and an article entitled “Wonder in wellies” inside includes a photograph (right) of Jimmy and his young family at the time.

This nostalgic look-back is courtesy of Amy Phillips who has set up a new website and blog (an online diary) about the variety genre under the title Variety Emporium.

Jimmy said: “I am most grateful for Amy featuring on this new website a look-back at one of the publications I appeared in during the 1980s.

“I  was also thrilled Amy recently came along to see my ‘Audience with’ show at the Ormskirk Civic Hall – it shows Amy really is a true supporter of variety!”

Jimmy Cricket and his family appeared in the Weekend and Titbits magazine in the 1980s

Audience gets chance to ask questions 150 150 mhamer

Audience gets chance to ask questions

Jimmy Cricket in Ormskirk with Edwin Fisher, Amy Phillips and John Crawley

Jimmy with Edwin Fisher, Amy Phillips & John Crawley at Ormskirk show

Jimmy Cricket enjoyed an “interesting and thoughtful” Q&A with some of his fans when he appeared in Ormskirk.

The famous entertainer was at the town’s Civic Hall earlier this month for one of his ‘Audience with’ shows, an evening of stand-up comedy.

These events have an interesting twist in that they feature a segment where members of the audience can ask Jimmy a question.

Ormskirk’s show was hosted by Jimmy’s good friend, comedian Tony Vino, who presided over the questions from the audience.

Jimmy said he was “thrilled to receive quite a number of interesting and thoughtful questions”.

He added: “I would like to thank Matt Orr from the nearby Engine Rooms [a community-based venue offering a huge range of activities and entertainment], who helped on the technical side and to comedian Adam Rush for helping to arrange a date for the show in the first place.”

Watch Jimmy’s walkabout in Ormskirk.

Add your name to my birthday book! 150 150 mhamer

Add your name to my birthday book!

Jimmy Cricket's birthday card to Denise Glyn-Hughes

Jimmy Cricket is inviting fans to add their names to his burgeoning birthday book.

The well-known Northern Irish entertainer has a book that he brings with him to all his live shows.

Anybody who wants to be sent one  of Jimmy’s special cards should pop along to see him at a venue near them and add their name to his ever-growing birthday card list!

A very happy Denise Glyn-Hughes is one of those people in the book and she can be seen above waving the autograph and birthday card that Jimmy sent her marking her 18th birthday. The photo appeared on Denise’s Facebook page.

Packed show is a family affair 150 150 mhamer

Packed show is a family affair

Jimmy Cricket and Fr Frankie appeared in the Clitheroe Advertiser

Jimmy Cricket and his second son, the newly ordained Fr Frankie Mulgrew, played to a fullhouse in aid of charity recently.

Like his famous dad, Frankie is also an entertainer and went under the stage name of Frankie Doodle during his show business days.

Jimmy Cricket's wife, May Mulgrew,

Jimmy’s wife, May

He was ordained a Catholic priest in an ordination service at Salford Cathedral last summer, but still does the occasional comedy gig in aid of charity.

Jimmy, his wife May Mulgrew – who is a professional singer under the stage name of May Marion – and Fr Frankie all appeared in the concert at the end of January which was a fund-raiser for the charity Mary’s Meals.

It is an organisation which supports school feeding projects in some of the world’s poorest communities where hunger and poverty prevent children from gaining an education.

The event was hosted at the community hall connected with the parish church where Fr Frankie is based – St John’s Catholic Church in Clitheroe.

Jimmy, who was born James Mulgrew, said: “The show played to a fullhouse, with 70 people having to be put on a waiting list for returned tickets!

“A magnificent total of £2, 250 was raised from the night for Mary’s Meals.”

The image above shows a story published in the Clitheroe Advertiser newspaper published on 6 February about the show.

Sweep dreams from the early 1990s 150 150 mhamer

Sweep dreams from the early 1990s

Sweep Dreams, starring Jimmy Cricket

A picture montage (above) based on a silent comedy film in which Jimmy Cricket starred has been sent to the famous Northern Irish entertainer more than two decades after it was made.

The sender was the Reverend Lawrie Adams who worked with Jimmy on a film project in the early 1990s.

At the time, Rev Adams was based at a church in the pretty town of Whalley in East Lancashire and he was in charge of  BDTV – Blackburn Diocese Television.

Now a retired vicar living in Cheadle, Cheshire, Rev Adams recently went to see one of Jimmy’s shows at the Plaza Theatre in Stockport.

The project  they worked on was called Sweep Dreams, a short, silent, comedy piece featuring Jimmy as a street sweeper in and around the Lancashire coastal resort of Lytham St Annes.

Rev Adams directed the piece and his two daughters – Fiona and Tracey – were also part of the production team.

The week’s filming in 1992 was completed on location in and around the notable landmarks of the resort ie the beach, promenade and bandstand, and, as you would expect, the theme of the film was Jimmy getting into all sorts of scrapes and mischief!

Although the project was never broadcast on television – interesting because this film pre-dated Mr Bean which became a success in the same silent comedy genre a few years later – much fun was had by all who were involved.

Jimmy said he enjoyed his time on location, adding: “It was really nice that 20 years later I was able to hear again from the Rev Lawrie and to receive the montage which brought back many fond memories.”

Wall of fame features Jimmy & others 150 150 mhamer

Wall of fame features Jimmy & others

Wall of fame includes Ken Dodd and Jimmy CricketA wall of fame photograph put on Facebook includes legendary entertainers such as Ken Dodd, Victoria Wood, Jimmy Cricket and George Formby.

The star-studded montage (right) of famous faces and celebrity autographs has been assembled over the years by Amy Phillips.

Jimmy said : “Amy is clearly a keen collector of autographs and the ones she has accumulated are proudly presented in a mounted display on the wall of one of her rooms.”

Alongside Northern Irish entertainer Jimmy on the wall of fame is actor, Peter Sallis who played Norman Clegg in Last of the Summer Wine, English comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, screenwriter and director Victoria Wood, British comedian, actor and television presenter Joe Pasquale and George FormbyOBE, who was a British actor, singer-songwriter and comedian.

George Formby was a major star of stage and screen in the 1930s and ’40s and his songs such as When I’m Cleaning Windows were particularly popular during the Second World War (1939–45).

Jimmy added: “Amy posted this picture on her Facebook page and I  am thrilled to keep such celebrated company on her wall!”